JAPEWANG's GROUP - CLOSED (Page 5)

Congrats on the podium, Roadtoad! I also raced, and came in 2'nd place in my age group. It was a group of only 2 however, so the celebration was a bit muted

We had a nice little pool tri here. 750 m swim, 20 k bike, 5 k run. It was definitely the most low-key race I've done, and I didn't really push anything, as it was just an early training race to gauge my abilities at this point. I felt good throughout. The swim was unsurprisingly slow, but that gave me a chance to catch lots of people on the bike and run. I kept up a 20 mph pace on the bike, which I was happy about (although I got a little lost at the turn-around and wasted about a minute). The only person who passed me on the run had a Comrades Ultramarathon t-shirt on, so I didn't feel too bad.

Looking forward to another good week of base building.

-Dan

That's awesome!  Congrats and what a great memory!

Congrats on the podiums!!   That is excellent.

I got in a 10 mile run this weekend, but that was about it.

Great job on those podium finishes and it sounds like some good training on the part of others too! Keep it up everyone!

A friend of mine came out and ran with me for his first "Frosty Fun Run" on Saturday morning. It was a 3.6 mile race. We had a good run, but I had to hold back a bit since Saturday was going to be my long run day. We ran together and had a fun time though.

My wife and I work at the same office and there are several of us who run in this series. Another one of my co-workers came out and ran his first race in years this week. In all we had 7 employees from our office running.I have yet to convince any of the others to do a Tri, but I'm still encouraging them.

After the race we went home and I ran another 4 miles to finish my long run day.  Sunday was a rest day, so except  for being on my feet for a few hours I took it easy.

Things have been pretty hectic around here. I have been getting in my training (for the most part -following BT beginner HIM) and have increased the bike mileage on my long rides. I started running, max 3 miles. The ankle feels pretty good when I am running, but it is sore at the end of the day on the days I ran. This is my recovery week and I feel like I am not doing something right, like I am still supposed to be going hard. It is hard to convince myself that I am supposed to have a recovery week. 

On another note, I am nervous about the HIM. A couple girls from my gym made me pretty much cry about the bike course. They were saying that they wouldn't get paid to race it, but they were talking about the full course, so I am hoping that the difference in the full and half IM course will be enough to make it doable for me. I know that I have some hill repeats to hit over the next couple weekends and to get more comfortable with downhills. I checked it out on map my ride and there are 4 cat 5 hills and the killer cat 3 hill around mile 43 for about 3 miles. I am also going to start working on taking advantage of descending and have been looking for some hills around here that will help me feel better about that. 

I am going through a pretty huge life change. I got offered a full time job, and I have been trying to get things organized in terms of my kids, etc. It is going to be a HUGE life change, and I know that I really have to be determined to get the training in now and still be able to see my kids as well as get the day to day stuff done. I know others do it, I know it is possible, I just have to get there mentally. Each day that goes by I am getting a little more positive about it. I have found a tri club that leaves on runs and rides close to my new office, (I have to find somewhere to shower still!) but I am struggling with feeling comfortable enough to show up and run/ride with them. I am by no means an elite athlete (the people who told me about the club ARE elite). I am doing this to set a goal, work towards it and feel great about it when I accomplish it. I am not going for time, so I feel a little intimidated showing up and worry they will be much faster. But I guess I won't know until I try! 

Congrats on the podiums! I bet that feels great!

I did my first fast pool interval workout of the season today (MS: 20 x 50m, odds RPE 4, evens RPE 9). OMFG...I felt like I was going to puke after 5 of them. I managed to finish the set without much of a drop on my fast laps, although my slow ones got progressively slower. But it was definitely the toughest time I've had in the pool for a while.

Do they get easier?

Great attitude!  Glad to hear that you're able to start putting some run mileage in as well.  Sounds like life is throwing a lot at your right now, but in a good way.  That's exciting.  Keep us posted on how you're doing!

Nope.  Doesn't get easier.  You just get faster

x2.  Wicked flu the last 3 days.  Raining here in Philly.

Hope everyone can dig out of the snow soon.  Puts a little damper on training.  I cant believe how dedicated some folks are.  I dont think I could put in a few hours on the trainer then the treadmill.  I ran this morning - brisk outside but not too bad.  I found a new route but made a wrong turn on the way home and ended up doing 9.5 instead of 8.  Its times like these that really test me mentally.  I went out for an 8 miler and that's what my mind was set to do.  When it gets longer I usually start to loose focus instead of hunkering down and getting the job done.  I was glad I could do that today.  Will come in handy next week for my HM  going for a PR again.

Paula

Hope everyone had a good weekend! Good luck on the HM, Paula!

I did my first group ride with a local cycling club this weekend.  Things went pretty well in the beginning. There was a long course group doing 100k, and a short course of 60k. I did the short course, but we all took off together at a nice, comfortable pace. Then when it came time for the short course folks to break off from the others, I realized it was just me and one woman. I spent the first 10 minutes after the turn-around pedaling like crazy to try and catch up to her, until the lead car told her to wait for me. From then on I'd draft her for about 10 minutes working my a$* off, she'd drop back to let me lead, and after about 5 minutes would get tired of my slow pace and take the lead again.

It was fun, and good motivation to keep up the pace on a long ride. We finished 60kms in 1:50, which is 15 minutes faster than my goal pace for my HIM, so I'll call it a successful training ride. But it made me realize I've still got plenty of work to do on the bike.

Great job.  Group riding is a great way to get faster.  Ride with those who are faster than you!

Dan, that was a great pace for your ride! I always enjoy ridding in a group, but it has been more than a year since my last group ride. I need to get back out there.

On the running side I did 8 miles on Saturday. My longest run day since I took up running a bit over 2 years ago. 2 1/2 weeks now from the local 10 mile race I'll be running in. I'm both excited and nervous about the distance.

Hello all, I had a great workout today. 5.5 mile run with friends at the Frosty Fun Run series, then another one of my friends accompanied me for 4 more miles to finish out my longest run day ever.

Legs are sore this evening, but it's a productive soreness.  Today's run built a lot of confidence going into the 10 mile race in 2 weeks. Not that I'll be fast enough for a podium finish or anything, it's more about just accepting the challenge of covering that distance and surviving.

I hope all of you are having successful workouts. Keep on training!

Great job on the distance! I still have yet to make it that far!

I did a reverse tri today (training, not a race). I had my fastest 1500m yet, felt super great. I finished in 29:52. I think I could have shaved another 4 seconds off that, but lap 27 kind of felt like a grind and I couldn't find a good rhythm and I lost the 4 seconds there. But other than that the entire 30 laps were very evenly paced and I felt amazing afterwards. 

Now to conquer some hills next weekend....

Great work! 

Hope everything is doing well.

Finally trying to get back to running after a 2 week hiatus.  Went out of town skiing, week before  last.  Then, last week was sick with a horrible cold.

Time to get back out for a run  tonight hopefully.  Have a 1/2 Marathon this weekend, so I think I"ll be taking it easy for this one.  No PR planned.

February is the loooonnngest month.

Good on you for giving up coffee. I could NEVER do that. Never. I guess that is why it is a sacrifice!

I have been having a REALLY hard time getting in my 2 workouts since I started working full time. I just can't seem to get out of bed in the morning to get the first one in. And I have to leave for work so early to avoid traffic that I would barely get it in anyway. The positive side of getting in early is I get to leave early enough to go to the gym or hop on my bike for the longer of the 2 workouts I am supposed to do. But I have a feeling I am going to be lacking a little bit. I just can't seem to get the schedule in order to get everything done and still see my kiddos.

On a different note, I found an opportunity to go on a trip to St. George to practice the bike course. It leaves on Friday morning (meaning a vacation day from work) and has a run and swim Friday night, a 56ish mile bike ride then 4-5 mile transition run on Sat and a 20 mile bike with a 13.1 mile run on Sunday before heading home. I am not sure I would be able to do the full 13.1 yet, but at least some of it. I think that getting to ride the bike course would either terrify me or make me feel a little more confident about it. Either way, at least it won't be a brand new course when I get there in May. The trip is the weekend 8 weeks before the race. It is supposed to be my recovery week, but this opportunity sounds too good to pass up. Is this a good idea to go ahead with it?

Also I was wondering if doing an olympic a little less than 3 weeks before the half IM is a good idea? I think it would give me practice taking off a wetsuit in race conditions. Speaking of, where do I start looking for a wetsuit? And what is a decent price range for one?

Thanks! Hope everyone is having a great week!